Don't Hate The Player, Hate The Game
by The Zodiac Princess
Summary: The games are over, but the chase has just begun...Just changed from a Kuteen oneshot to a series of oneshots. KutnerThirteen. Wanna try reading something new? Acquire within. No flames plz. Make me a happy panda and R&R please!


Hmmm...a new story written by yours truly. Well, actually, it's just a one-shot...for now. If this goes well, I might expand this into a full length story. But don't worry, my Fish Out Of Water story is still on and in progress. I wanna be a trailblazer, and be the first to write the new ducklings into some romantic situations. Come on, if you're a Chase & Cameron fan, then this idea should be close to your heart. And if not, I hope you're still willing to enjoy...

...They always say that a game is meant to be played only by people who know how to play. Sounds somewhat presumptuous on the player's side, no? They also say that one mussn't hate the player, but hate the game. Also sounding a little presumptuous, being that one can believe that their faults of the game lie not with them, but the game itself. Boy, what a confident booster. Amber had it right the first time. Yet, she was the last doctor under House's staff to live by that rule. It had been a hellish two months. A long list of events consisting of assumptions, truths, secrets and even deaths. And about 200 MRI's, 350 seizures, 55 blood tranfusions and three doctors remaining, the game was over...But an even greater game was about to begin...

...Doctor Chris Taub gently tapped his fingers against the glass coffee table impatiently. He leaned his his chair, almost poised in such a way of sheer bordum, and that anything new would have him up on his feet. It made him anxious, not saving a life or releasing one. Sure, he wasn't always like this. His prior career didn't entail a life or death manner. Only until recently did he learn to love the rush that the Ducklings has endured for three years. He was hooked, and no way would he give it up now.

But sitting around all day wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he decided to sign up for the fellowship. The past two months consisted of back to back cases and games. Why now, why on his first offical day as a new follower would he have his very first break? There was no more jumping through hoops, no tests, no fear. And he couldn't even enjoy it. It was mid-day, he arrived at nine. And for four hours, he sat in the same seat and did nothing. Well, with the exception of those few bathroom breaks.

Taub constantly glanced over at Doctor Lawrence Kutner, who sat in a chair two spots down from him. Kutner didn't seem too upset about doing nothing and getting paid for it. His fingers were gently laced around the edges of a _Sports Illustrated_ magazine, as he leaned back in his chair comfortably. The world was his oyster. Every so often, he would mutter to himself something along the lines of 'what a bad trade', or 'such a stupid call'. But when there was a page where a coach didn't make a bad trade or an offical didn't make a bad call, he would glance up at the person who sat across from him.

'Thirteen', or who we uncommonly know as Doctor Remy Hadley, kept her eyes focused on the medical journal that laid flatly on the coffee table. In her hand was a ballpoint pen and beside the journal was a notepad that consisted of notes for the night's study. What a bookworm she was. Always wanting answers and feeling that earning them was far greater than discovering them. She sat, focused and eyes slightly narrowed, as she silently copied facts and figures into her college ruled notebook. Her other hand stuck out a finger, pointing to the sentence she was writing.

Now that the game was over, there was less pressure. Less pressure to...be yourself. Feel yourself, and know what it is that you want. This, Kutner felt first. It was no longer a task to impress the boss. He had done that already. He felt free from the chains, and just...let the world see the real him. His eyes drifted back up to steal another glance from Thirteen. She was pretty, he knew and she knew. But Kutner wondered why someone so physically beautiful became a doctor. She could've done anything she set her mind to. Anything _easier _would've been a job someone of her physical calliber would've chosen. But her...she defied the odds and did something different. Something worthy. That was worth more than just a few stares and glances. It deserved praise, and that's what had Kutner's attention. It's almost as if this kind of thinking has been thought before...When he caught himself staring, he quickly removed his mental gawking eyes and refocused them back on his magazine.

Taub had about as much as he could handle from his lack of activity. He stopped the finger tapping and turned his attention to Doctor House's office. through the wall, he noticed House sitting comfortably in his chair, his eyes focused on the PSP in his hand. It seemed that House had no interest in the outside world, despite the lack of work for his new baby ducklings. What'd he care? Cuddy told him to hire new doctors, it didn't mean they actually had to do anything. Well, Taub had to do something before his mind would explode.

"Are...are we going to anything today?" Taub asked loudly, turning his head to the side, as if to fall asleep on his shoulder.

"You don't consider turning oxygen into carbon dixoxide an activity?" House questioned sarcastically, not looking up from his PSP. "I have to say, as a doctor, i'm disapointed."

"I thought that when we made the final cut, we'd get more hands on experience," Taub softly sighed.

"And you are," House corrected, pausing his game to look up at him. "This is the relaxing part of a doctor's day. Sort of like nap time for toddlers." House's eyes glanced back down and unpaused his game.

"Come on, House. Great doctors don't relax. We didn't cut each other's throats for two months just to get a job that allows us to do nothing," Taub sat up, just as Kutner & Thirteen looked up at him. "Hell, we didn't go to medical school just to sit on our asses and read sports magazines."

Kutner's eyes slightly widened, knowing that Taub had just called him out on the spot. He felt the need to say something. So, he put down his magazine and sat up with him. "Well, in my defense, I AM reading the medical issues section of the magazine."

House rolled his eyes at Kutner's response. "Yeah, and I buy Playboy for the fishing articles. Have some dignity for your actions. You don't have to suck up to me anymore."

Taub was reasonable man. "Can't we just go to the clinic and se-"

"-No."

"-But we can't just sit here and-"

"-Yes, we can."

"I'm sure Doctor Cuddy could use some hel-"

"-Rule number one. We don't work to satisfy Cuddy," House paused his game again and looked up at him again. "Learn this rule, and others i'm bound to throw at you along the way. I'd give you the list, but Cameron took it with her when she left." He shrugged innocently, as if his actions couldn't ever influence an indivisual's.

"But...isn't Doctor Cuddy the boss?" Kutner squinted his eyes slightly as he asked. He knew it was repetitive.

"That she is, but I prefer to call her 'the bitch'," House continued the motorcycle game on his PSP while he spoke with thick sarcasm. "Didn't want to confuse Cuddy from Amber, so Amber got the name as well. Afterall, it's not right to play favorites."

"And...Cuddy isn't going to get upset with us because we're doing nothing?" Kutner sounded intrigued as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Of course she will," House replied, matter-of-factly. "Cuddy gets pissed when she can't control the rain, let alone her employees. The real task is ajusting to her outbursts. Just pretend she's the mother who doesn't understand the music."

"So...this is all just a ploy to get back at Cuddy?" The first time Thirteen had spoken in the past four hours. Her voice was softer and kinder. She wasn't arguing with someone for a spot, so her voice box needed very little strain. She put down her pen beside the written notes and turned to him. "Why? Because she forced you to hire us?"

House looked up as if to ponder, not caring if his game ended positively or negatively. "Hmm...great theory, Thirteen. I like it. It's cheap and underhanded. I'm glad Cuddy forced me to hire you."

Thirteen's eyes slightly widened. "She forced you to hire me?"

"Regardless," Taub looked over at Thirteen warily. "It's still redundant on our part to just sit here while you enjoy your gameboy."

"Hey!" House snapped, much like a child would. He held up the shiny gamesystem for all to see. It sparkled in it's black beauty. "This is no gameboy. I'm a lot classier than that. Minus fifteen points."

"Uh...you're still given out points?" Kutner asked, confused. The game was over...why would he...

"In your case, i'm taking them away. Minus twenty for asking an idiotic question."

"What's the reason behind the points when the challenges are over?" Taub folded his arms comfortably. Something told him deep inside that he would be there for a while. Is he the newest Foreman of the bunch?

"Don't know," House shrugged, ajusting himself for comfortable. "Might be because it confuses the hell out of you, and it's interesting to watch you fear for your jobs when you've already been hired."

Thirteen groaned. "Well, fine. We'll play your last game. It's not as if we have much of a choice. But we just can't sit here and expect to do nothing. My legs are falling asleep." She looked down as she attempted to stand and brushed off some of the eraser marks that had somehow fallen into her lap.

"Welcome to my world," House grumbled loudly enough for the trio to hear.

Taub & Kutner turned their direction to a now standing Thirteen. She shoved her hands into her lab coat pockets and proceeded to walk towards the door. "I'm going to get some lunch." House had raised lowered his jaw to speak, but Thirteen cut him off dead center. "No, I won't be in the clinic. I'm actually starving."

She let the door close behind her without another word to have gotten out. Bold move. Taub & Kutner exchanged glances before turning to House, not nearly as brave to walk out without permission. House knew they wanted out, and hell, he didn't want to play favorites so early in the fellowship. "If you're going to silently pout like a five year old, then go. It's annoying watching you watch me."

It didn't take Kutner another second for him to jump from his seat with zeal. He walked quickly out the glass door, not caring that he left his fellow colleague in the dust. Taub casually proceeded to open the door, but was caught off guard by House's cold voice. "Taub."

Taub turned back to him. "Yeah?"

"Minus a hundred points."

"What for?"

"You accused me of not being a great doctor," House's eyes sparkled a sea of blues, as if his eyes told a history that no one could tell in a lifetime. Taub froze up, recalling what he had said before. It wasn't like he meant to insult him. But House wanted answers and not exuses. "For that, you...bring me back a reuben sandwich."

Taub rolled his eyes and softly sighed. It took him back to the first week when he had to break into a home for the first time. It's always orders, no compromise. "Alright." Taub turned back and walked out the door, as if nothing happened. The real task now was to see if he could catch up to Kutner, who was clearly chasing some other desire.

The cafeteria was filled with a variety of white coats and pink scrubs. All of which were making their way through the crowds of people to either receive food or find a seat. The busiest of cafeteria hours was right around twelve thirty, and sure enough, the new followers found themselves in the midst of it's happenings.

Thirteen, being the first leave the office without any respect for her new boss, was first to pick up a large green salad from off the cafeteria belt. She quickly grabbed an _Arizona Iced Tea_ from the cooler before heading over to the cashier and paying for her items. It was so crowded in her eyes. Even with the mayonase scare House had imposed on Cuddy, she still found a way to mozy around her fellow doctors and nurses. This time, the fear that she would drop her salad suddenly became like an alarm in her head.

She did end up find a spot at a small table in the far back, just abandoned by several nurses who glanced at her while passing. Little pieces of candy wrappers were slightly scattered throughout the table, but nothing she couldn't push aside. Her eyes glanced up as she sat down, and her eyes took in the atmosphere around her. It was different this time. These people, the ones around her, now worked _with_ her. The idea that she may not make the cut wasn't a lump in her throat. Thirteen was here to stay, and it pleased her. In her heart of hearts, she knew she didn't have to secretly impress, or cut throats like Amber did. She could...just be herself. And that was enough for her.

Kutner found himself sitting at a section of the table vacant from all other occupients, his direction facing Thirteen. In his defense, he didn't even notice she sat all by her lonesome until his eyes came across the beautiful girl with the large salad, eating with no one around. He wanted to talk with her. After all, they were going to end up working together. He might as well make a friendly gesture by sitting with her. Kutner was known for two things; his informality in dressing and his friendly persona. But for some reason, he could almost feel the nails sticking his feet into the ground. Something within told him not to go. A long list of things; he would make a fool of himself, she would hate him, he could hate her, and so forth. A list of fears that added up to the same thing; it was high school all over again for him, and the circle was getting ready to spin.

A soon-to-be familar voice interupted him, and his view. Doctor Taub slid into the chair directly in front of Kutner, blocking his view. He put down his tray of country fried steak and corn as he spoke. "Hey, sorry about putting you on the spot back there."

Kutner blinked several times, bringing himself back to a familiar reality. "Uh...oh, it's okay. I know you were just trying to make a point."

"Well, yeah," Taub agreed as he began to cut up his country fried steak into pieces. "I mean, House knows we're here for business. We didn't go through all that work just to..."

Taub's voice began to sound out, as Kutner's eyes began to drift past him towards lucky number thirteen. He couldn't put his finger on it; why was he so amazed with her? He barely knows her. Why do such beautiful women do this to him, he wondered silently. This was ridiculous. Women should not have this kind of power of him! Especially women he barely even knows! A habit that takes a lot of effort to break. What was it about her, he wondered. He worked beside her for two months and not one glance. Now, he just couldn't keep his eyes off her. It reminded him of high school, when he would watch the pretty girls in his Chemistry class. Oh, how he wanted them as partners. They didn't need to do anything. All they needed to do was just stand there and let him admire them. It wasn't intended to be creepy, but rather a way to express his admiration towards them. A poor, nerdy kid who always fell for the opposite of who he was. But he knew them...he didn't know Thirteen.

Taub caught on somwehat quickly to Kutner's stare. He stopped in mid-sentence, snapping his fingers in front of Kutner's face. "Hey-Are you listening to me?"

Kutner blinked several times, once more, slightly shaking his head. "Yeah-yeah. I'm listening."

"No, you weren-..." Taub raised a brow, turning his head behind him. "-What are you looking...at." Through the gaps of several people for whom blocked the way, he managed to locate the last of his three-part aliance sitting by herself. At first, the idea ran across his mind that it wasn't her that he was looking at. Thirteen wasn't the only one sitting behind him, but the only one sitting in the exact chair a few tables down. He turned to look away, but he turned back to her again. She looked...content in her own world. With a small smile on her face, she picked up a few lettuce strands and placed them politely in her mouth. It was then that Taub saw it; he _was_ looking at her. He turned back to Kutner, whose face was on edge. "You were staring at Thirteen."

"Well, uh, yeah," Kutner attempted to play-off, cooly. "Well, ya know, she's sitting all by herself. I was thinking of inviting her over." Excuses? he asked himself sternly. I guess it's all I have at the moment.

"Okay," Taub shrugged nonchalantly, scooping up some corn nibblets from his plate. "Go over and invite her to sit with us."

"Uh...well, I considered that," Kutner nodded as if reasonable. "And i've come to the conclusion that maybe she'd be better off not sitting with us. She wouldn't want to, i'm sure."

Taub stopped with the fork in his mouth. He narrowed his eyes, almost in confusion. He could hear Kutner slightly gulp as he pulled out the fork from his mouth. "If she wouldn't want to sit with us, why would you even consider inviting her over?"

_Crap. _Doctor Kutner shrugged. "I don't know. You're right. It's idiotic. I don't know why I even thoug-"

"-Even if you were going to invite her over, you wouldn't stare at her from a distance," Taub continued analyzing suspiciously, swallowing the corn in his mouth. It brought an atmosphere of fear and ackward nonverbal communication to the table. Taub studied the very young Doctor Kutner down to the fingernails. Taub was married, and this kind of reaction wasn't something he wasn't unfamiliar with. He was also a plastic surgeon, and knew that most women change their looks because they want the same attention Kutner was giving Thirteen. The amazement, the analysis, the care...the same. Taub's eyes widened and slightly dropped his jaw. "Oh my Gd..."

"Taub-"

"-You have a thing for her!" Taub grinned wickedly, not caring if Thirteen actually heard him.

"Shh!" Kutner reached out to cover his mouth and whispered softly. Taub pulled his head back and luckily dodged Kutner's rushing hand. "I don't have a thing for her."

"Yes you do!" Taub smirked confidently as he leaned back in his chair. "That's why you don't want anyone to hear me."

"No," Kutner corrected sternly. "I want you to shut up because this is how rumors get started. And I don't want my first rumor to be something that occured on my first day of work."

"Right," Taub replied sarcastically, folding his arms. Kutner found it rather intimidating to have the obligation of watching Taub sit with such confidence. What did he know? It's their first day and he's already making assumptions. Not a great way to start off his career. "I'm not stupid, you know. I know that's why you were staring at her. And I know that's why you were in such a rush to leave House's office. You were chasing after her."

Kutner paused. At a loss of words, he could only studder what seemed so perfect in his mind. "I-No, wai-I know it looks-I...I don't like her...like that."

"Did you even think about eating something when you came down here?" Taub questioned. Boy, he was starting to get on Kutner's nerves.

"Yeah," the younger doctor replied, matter-of-factly.

"Then unless you decided to eat the air hovering over your plate, my sources are telling me that you didn't come down to the cafeteria for some food."

"Wha-" Kutner's eyes drifted down to the set of silverware and plate in front of them. Empty, clean, as if nothing had touched it. He didn't even get anything to eat. How could he be so naive? Why did his foolishness have to be so obvious? First with the patient on fire, then everything else began to fall into place. He could only mutter under his breath. "...Damn."

Taub sighed, not so much at the pride of defeat but rather the pity of his colleague. "Look, maybe you need to focus in more with what's going on aro-"

"-Do you think she's beautiful?" Kutner interrupted needingly.

Taub stopped in dead air, his eyes widened slightly to the question. "What's that?"

"Do you think she looks attractive? I mean, you're a plastic surgeon-well, were a plastic surgeon at one point. You must know what beauty is. You made it everyday. Do you think she's beautiful?"

For some reason, it was okay for Taub to place Kutner on the podeum, but it wasn't fair when the acts were reciprocated. Our plastic surgeon hid some secrets of his own. Secrets that reminded Kutner of himself at a young age. And he knew just what he wanted to hear. "Yeah, she's really beautiful...wait, why are you asking me this again if you _don't _harbor feelings for her?"

"I can't find someone beautiful and not have feelings for them?" Kutner narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Pieces of Taub's steak began to turn cold with this long and perhaps never ending conversation. Not how we wanted to spend his lunch break. If only he sat at another table. He dropped the silverware into his plate and placed one of his hands upon his forehead. Taub shook his head from the discourse and attempted to make sense out of it. "Just go and ask her out."

Kutner threw him a look. "I'm not going to do that."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like her."

"Kutner, give me a break."

"I'm serious. I'm not going to ask her out."

"But you do like her, don't you?"

"I...I don't know, alright?!" Kutner had grown frustrated with his lack of answers. It wasn't so much Taub's fault, but rather his own fault. The truth was that it was too complicated. He admired her, and he thought that was it. But since Taub pushed him, he actually began to consider that what Taub said was in fact true. His voice made him sound as if he didn't care whether or not Thirteen heard him. A few strangers from the side tables glanced over at him and the non-responsive Taub. Kutner would look at them and returned his attention to his fellow colleague. "Look, I don't know how I feel. I'm still trying to sort it out. A lot's been going on in all of our lives, and i'm trying to alleviate as much stress as possible. This is...just another knot."

Taub scoffed. "How could you not know how you feel? It's either you like her or you don't."

Kutner blinked, his eyes focusing on Taub's tie. "I think it's another game."

"Oh, don't blame House's games."

"It's not House. It's my game. I've spent the past two months playing games and now that it's over, my mind refuses to go back to the way it was before."

Taub groaned. "Then i've got the answer; JUST ASK HER OUT."

Kutner sighed. His body began to give in to Taub's pressures, which is quite rare for his mind, let alone Kutner's body. This wasn't something to be taken lightly. As he sat, simple examples of 'Occam's Razor' began to bounce like popcorn into his mind. Maybe the simplest solution is the right one. "I can't...I barely know her."

"Isn't that what you do on a date? Get to know someone?"

"I want to know some part of her, physicals aside," the true Kutner was shown to Taub. Was this the first sign of fellowship trust? Both Taub and Kutner considered it later on and both knew it was definantly an improvement. "I don't want to just rush into dating her with the chance of pissing her off, and then having to work with her while she hates me."

Taub blinked. "Wow...you've certainly had some time to think about that, haven't you?"

"We didn't work today. If you hadn't noticed, I was pretending to read the same magazine for three and a half hours."

Taub shrugged. "Okay, then just ask her out for drinks. Doctors can still do that with each other, right?"

"I guess..." His eyes trailed downward to the floor, almost ashamed of his issue. But a light would appear to tell him that everything would be alright. "Hey...maybe that's my problem right there. I'm attracted to someone I don't know...and i'm freaked out because...I don't know...maybe I do like her...but i'm just afraid of ruining it. Especially now, ya know. If I ruin it now, who knows how long we'll work together...I didn't feel this way before...but that's because I was in the game, and didn't have time to notice how beautiful she was...we were always on the chopping block togethe-"

"-I'm stopping you here," Taub pointed a finger at him, interupting him rudely. "Your problem ruined my lunch. So, you are going over there and asking her out for drinks TONIGHT. You're going to get to know her and you will figure out whether or not you want to be involved with her romantically. Because i'm not going to sit here and ruin another lunch. Got it, Kutner?"

The younger doctor was taken back by the older doctor's remarks. He sounded serious, and determined. It didn't matter whether the two hooked up or not. Taub wasn't willing to spend another hour talking about the could have's and should have's. "Alright...i'll go ask her."

Kutner stood up slowly, thinking of over a million things to say to her. He proceeded down the pathway to her table, running down every line he had used on a girl. Most of the ones he came across ended up in disaster. He was getting ever closer to her table, and by then, most of her salad had been eaten. Yet, he had nothing but catagories on what to say. _Something charming, something new, something wity just for you_...he was getting no where. His feet stopped right in front of the table where she sat. This was it...she wasn't looking up, and perhaps didn't notice him. This was his time to say something wity or funny so she'd remember the moment for the rest of her life.

"Hi," He greeted weakly. Not a good way to start out.

She heard his weak reply and looked up at him. "Oh, hi."

_Time for something wity, time for something wity. _"How are you?" Man, he couldn't break his pattern.

Thirteen shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm alright. Just enjoying my salad and my unproductive day. How can House really expect us..."

Kutner began to ease in and out of the conversation and focus more on her in general. She could've been a stripper and made more in two weeks than she does in a month. She could've been a model and made more in a day than two weeks or in some cases, a month. What in Gd's name made her decide to become a doctor? She could've been anything she wanted...anything that wouldn't be a disgrace to her beauty and intelligence. Kutner knew this truth; she has absolutely no idea, and that maybe he'd be the only one who actually let her know.

She pushed another piece of lettuce into her mouth. "...naturally, he forces us to do nothing-"

"-Would you like to have a drink with me?" Kutner cut in, looking deep into her eyes. She stopped chewing and stared blankly at him. "If you want to."

"We're on the clock."

Kutner smiled. She has...his sense of humor. "No, not now. Tonight."

"You mean...like a date?"

Kutner's eyes widened. Just what he had feared would be asked had been asked. "No-no-no-no. Not a date. Just, uh...a friendly drink between colleagues. After all, we're going to be working together. We might as well get to know each other better."

"Oh, does that mean Taub will be accompanying us as well?" She looked past Kutner to Taub, who repetitively stabbed the steak on his plate. Way to be a dead horse.

"Uh, no," Kutner looked back at Taub and then turned back to her. "He, uh...he can't make it. Something with he and his wife. He didn't elaborate on it. I guess it's a surprise to everyone but him, so you probably shouldn't say you know about it. He'll pretend he doesn't know what you're talking about." What a liar.

It was the first time that Thirteen smiled and the first time Kutner could enjoy it. "Alright, then. Just you and me. Do you want to meet at that bar across from the hospital?"

"Su-sure," He smirked, attempting to play it cool. Not even Thirteen was fooled by him. "I'm down for that."

"How about eight? We can go right after work, since House is making us stay late," She reasoned.

"Sounds good." _Damn, she looked wonderful. Her hair gently flowing past her shoulders. Was that...lipstick? On her first day? Trying to impress the boss that has y'all do nothing. And that lab coat-_ When he caught himself staring again, he scratched the back of his head, and decided to walk away. "I'll see you soon."

A bright red food tray stuck out in Taub's hands as he stood watching a very quickly pacing Kutner return back to him. "So, what happened? You aren't crying, so she didn't rip your heart out."

Kutner continued walking, leaving Taub to follow. "She said yes to the drinks."

"She said yes?" Taub turned and placed his tray on the kitchen belt, sending it away. "Did she use the word 'yes'? Or did she say something like 'alright', 'sure' or 'Good idea'?"

"Uhh...I think her exact words were 'alright'...maybe 'sure'..."

Taub looked at him as they continued walking out of the cafeteria to their-urm...work. "Okay, so she sounds a little enthused. You'd be a shoe-in if she used 'yes' to answer you."

A few Asian nurses in their pink scrubs were walking to the cafeteria. Taub's eyes made contact with the set of six eyes that were on them. He nodded and greeted them warmly. The women smiled and whispered in Chinese all the way down to the cafeteria. Taub refused to acknwledge it for anything less than positive.

Kutner shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "I'd be more concerned with her answer if I was actually asking her on a date."

"Pfft!" Taub smirked. "Be realistic; you're going for drinks, you might get drunk and you might even get laid. It's a date."

He threw him a look. "You've got a twisted sense of what a date is."

"I haven't been dating in a long time," He shrugged. "I guess the time's have changed." They rounded the corner, their feet in unison. When Taub made eye contact with the glass office, something felt...missing. And there in lied House, still playing with his PSP. His direct concentration, the focus, the determination. And that's when Taub realized just crap he missed. "Crap."

"What?" Kutner asked flatly, noticing that Taub had turned around and started running down the hall.

"I've gotta go grab House a sandwich, i'll be right back!" Taub called from his shoulder.

All Kutner could do was stand there, smirk and shake his head. "Amature."

The grandfather clock in the lobby echoed a tune at percisely eight 'o clock. The hospital was not nearly as crowded as it was in mid-day, but it did sustain a large amount of life. And our newest of followers partook in that count as well. as Taub expected, Cuddy was rather displeased when she walked in on them doing nothing productive. It was three thirty and she had expected them to do be something other than reading and thumb-playing. House got the yelling, but the followers got the clinic.

By now, even House had called it a day. No one was surprised. That was the fortune of coming with such an elaborate title; very few people tell you what you can do. Or in House's case, no one. So each one worked busily in the clinic without time to so much as look at the clock. Flu patients, chicken pox patients, etc, but nothing too serious to keep them working late.

Kutner hadn't seen or even heard from Thirteen since their arrangement at lunch. As he walked out of the moving glass doors into the chilly night, he began to silently wonder if maybe she had changed her mind. He began prepping himself for the possibility that maybe she wouldn't be waiting for him. It's okay if she changes her mind, you know, it wouldn't be uncommon for him. Even now, he tends to think back to high school and all those girls he liked, but were easily annoyed by him. No matter what impression he gave off, eventually, they'd flee like the slaves to the north. It was lose-lose with no sign of stopping.

Soft winds of coldness flushed his cheeks a brighter color. For some reason, it was a colder december than any he could remember from New Jersey. He hadn't anticipated the possibility that he might see his breath while walking down the two blocks to the bar. But he did, and remained as pleasent as possible. After all, she said 'alright' to his request, and that's more than enough initative to walk the two seemingly short blocks. He opened the door and was instantly greeted with a rush of warm air and the scent of alcohol. He could hear a low manly chatter that seemed to echo endlessly throughout the bar.

He looked around for a spot to stay and wait for Thirteen. Women, always like to doll themselves up, even if it is a bar. To drunks, you could be Chewbacca and still look desireable. As he pondered this, his mind stopped dead in its tracks when he noticed the very young Doctor 'Thirteen' already sitting at the bar. It suprised him to no end. She got here before he did. Not only that, but she had a drink and was already placing the olive in her mouth. A scene to drive all men crazy. Was he now the woman in this, being that he'll take longer to arrive than her? Don't tell him this was high school gym class all over again.

Hesitantly, he took his baby steps and sat in the empty chair to her left. His stomach turned with mix feelings. It wasn't the glass table in the office anymore. It wasn't professional, it was personal. All he could hope was that she was feeling the same way.

She looked over at him. "Hey. You actually came."

"Yeah," He gave her a small smile as he ajusted himself on the barstool. "I told you I would. I'm a man of my word."

She looked down at the martini that stood motionless in front of her. "Sorry, I started without you. You can still catch up. It's my first."

"It's alright," He shrugged nonchalantly. "I would've done the same thing too considering the day we had." The bartender looked over at him, his eyes asking the question of 'what would you like?' Kutner wasn't an expect on drinking. College consisted of cheap beer in large quantities, and all he knew was how much one could drink before throwing up. But what he didn't know was that Thirteen knew that too. Her medical school was quite keen on 'releasing tension'. Kutner nodded to Thirteen's glass and held up one finger to indicate the message. The bartender nodded and prepared the martini.

"Yeah," She sighed, her index finger rolling over the edge of the martini glass. "I suppose the idea of having an exciting case was pretty blasphemous."

"I guess so," He shrugged, taking the martini from the bartender's hands and thanking him. "But, on the bright side, we're not competing anymore. So, there's no worry about doing anything slightly stupid."

"Like using a defibrillator in a hyperbaric chamber?" She smirked.

"Hey, the patient was going to die."

"Yeah, because you set him on fire."

"It was just that one time!" He exclaimed with a laugh. "The guy was going to die, and i'm not afraid of putting a patient's life in harm's way so we can save it."

Thirteen raised a brow. "That doesn't make any sense whatsoever."

"Can we not talk about work?" He squinted. "We can go on and on about all the rights and wrongs about practicing medicine and get nowhere, ya know?"

"Alright, fair enough," _There's that word again. _She took a sip of her martini. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How about...just asking each other questions," typical Kutner, a quick approach to everything. He saw her nod nonchalantly which made both pleased and a little nervous. "And, uh, i'll go first...what's your real name? I mean, I doubt your first and last name is 'thirteen'. House would be pretty impressive to pull that out of a hat at random."

She nodded. "No, you're right. Thirteen isn't my name, but I have a feeling that it will be for the rest of my medical career. Or at least for as long as i'm at the PPTH. But i'll you, my real name is Remy. Remy Hadley. Doctor Remy Hadley."

"Remy? Is that a certain nationality?"

She shrugged, sipping again. "I guess my mother just pulled one random out of a hat." She smirked at him and he smiled. They didn't know if it was the alcohol or the company, but it felt nicer knowing that they weren't competing. They could actually establish a friendship without the fear of losing it. And as this thought crossed her mind, she realized that she did have a question in mind. One that had been in the back for quite some time. "I have a question for you...when Cole called you and Amber out for elimination and when he was fired, why did you refuse the shake his hand?"

He threw her a look. "Wasn't it obvious? He put me on the chopping block."

"Everyone was put on the chopping back at some point. Hell, you were fired before you were hired," She swallowed the last of her martini and ordered another.

"So were you. But you..." He sighed, picking up his glass swallowing all of it in one gulp. A frown appeared. The clear indication for the bartender to bring them both another. "...you didn't befriend him. You didn't make a pack with him. He's mormon, he should what it means to stay true to something. And he called me out because he was afraid of his deal with Cuddy turning sour."

"So it was true. House was right; you two did work together."

"Well, yeah. He was a cool guy to work with," The bartender came back and set the new batch of martinis in front of the two. He nodded to him. "I liked working with him, and I wanted that to continue. I even liked hanging out with him. That's why we went to that magic show together. I sort of dragged him into it, but he did come. And then he goes and stabs me in the back, just so he can further his career."

Thirteen took a sip. "You mean to tell me that if the roles were reverse, you wouldn't have done the same thing?"

A small smile crept on his face. "I wouldn't have made a deal with Cuddy. If anything, she'd be making the deal with me in return for her stolen underwear."

The female doctor couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Somehow I doubt that."

"Why?"

"You're not sneaky. You couldn't even cover a patient on fire, let alone your ass if you stole the dean's underwear."

"You know what?" He folded his arms while smirking. "I think i've answered your question. I believe it's my turn."

"Fire away," She shrugged, spinning the olive in a circular motion.

Hmm...he wanted to ask her something truly considerable. Maybe something like 'why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?' Yeah, that'll get her thinking. But instead, he had only half a second to consider it before blurting out "Why are you a doctor if you're able to do other things?"

It was her turn to throw him a look. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Thirt-urm...Hadley, have you looked in the mirror recently? Or at all? You're beautiful. There's so many..._easier_ jobs for someone of your caliber and you chose this profession. Why?" Wait, did he just admit she was beautiful? Did she even notice? And the rumors go marching in...

"I didn't chose this profession out of convienence," She explained. "I chose it because I really wanted to help people...when I was younger, my mother, before she had gotten sick, took me to the mall just before Christmas. We were on our way to the toy store when a man fainted right in front of us. I assumed he was with his family because a woman fell to her knees beside him and begged us to call a doctor. A crowd gathered around us, and I remember watching this guy go into cardiac arrest. I...I remember...wanting to help him...but I was only six years old, and there was nothing I could do. But from that day on, I swore to myself that if I were ever in a situation like that, I would know what I could do to help, and do it. I guess now I literally put myself in a position where the need to assist becomes quintessential, huh." She could only smile at her own karma, and he couldn't help but smile with her.

"Wow, that's rather noble of you."

She shrugged, sipping her drink in unision with him. "What about you? What got you into practicing medicine?"

"Chipendale's didn't call me back," He sighed. A House phrase, indeed. If only he could hear him now. A father's joy for his son wouldn't be too far off from the pride he would've felt.

"Yeah, Playboy didn't give me the second interview, either. So really, what convinced you?"

"Honestly?"

"If you can give it, yes," She smirked, wrinkling her nose.

What a look. He saw her, the child inside her. Perhaps the one that witnessed such a tragedy around Christmas that year. And within, he could feel his inner child reaching out with it's little hands, as if to break out. Kutner leaned back, thinking about Thirteen's question. "Let's see...I couldn't play sports, so I decided that I was going to be the guy all athletes went to for steroid usage advice."

"That's as honest as you could get?"

"No. But the night's still young, and the alcohol hasn't kicked in yet. I'll get there sure enough."

Neither of them even bothered to look up at the clock, well into the later hours of the night. It didn't matter when a few biker boys came walking in. Or the tables behind them, pushed together that made space for the jukebox and hardwooden dance floor. Karoke, anybody? Perhaps they actually enjoying each other's presence to a point where they didn't notice anyone outside their space...well, except for the bartender.

Kurtner lost count of how many martini's both he and Thirteen had. Something around five or six, which is kind of ironic, because any other non-alcoholic drink could've easily been counted. They were on the verge on utter dunkenness that only lied in the head, not in the heart.

We have come to find that he is not the loudest but the two while intoxicated, but rather a half of a whole. Thirteen could really yell it out for any particular purpose. Especially, with humor.

"...So, that's when we stole all of his clothes, hung them on goal post, and we watched him climb all the way up to retrieve them!" Kutner explained with his laughter. Thirteen couldn't help but laugh along as well. "And then-then...this is the greatest part...while he was up there, my buddy Shawn started to throw some of the football gear up at him. And one of the football helmets caught hold of his towel and pulled it off! So there this guy was; captain of the football team, hanging fifteen feet in the air and four feet down...if you know what I mean."

Normally, Thirteen would be a little on ease about a remark such as that. But there was no more edge, no person to please or impress, just her fellow colleague. Alltogether, it had her laughing until her organs pinched. "You guys we're horrible!"

"Yeah we were!" He agreed enthusiastically. "But come on, we had reason."

"Your reason was what? Because the captain was dating your friend's ex-girlfriend?"

He glared with a smile that couldn't rub off. "Didn't you listen to a word I said?"

"Guess not," She snapped playfully, sipping her almost empty martini.

"The captain was dating her WHILE she dating my buddy. And that wasn't cool."

"So, you take out the anger and frus-frus-er..." She couldn't get the word out and it annoyed her. It almost even _frustrated _her. "...Yeah, you took that out on the guy. Maybe he didn't know she was dating both guys."

"You're gonna stick up for him? You don' even know him!" Kutner scoffed playfully.

"Ugh," She shook her head with empathy. "Guys are stupid sometimes."

"Why? What do girls do?" He asked defensively, sticking the olive in his mouth.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "We just tease someone until they develop an eating disorder."

"Pfft...that's better?"

"It's better than humil-il-il-ugh...forget it."

Kutner opened his mouth to speak, but overhead, could hear the echos of a song far too familiar. He blinked and squinted, trying to capture the essence of the song, and the significance. And when he knew what song he was, his eyes slightly widened for clarity, and his lips came together to close the gap.

But Thirteen kept chatting. "You know, i've had six martini's and I'm not even drunk. Buzzed maybe. I thi-"

"-Hey, do you wanna dance?" He asked, interupting her without any respect. But they had a few, so the whole 'I'm-a-doctor' emphasis was long gone.

Thirteen paused. "To what? The song on right now? Isn't this Celine Dion?"

"Yeah, come on," He took her wrist and guided her through the crowded tables and empty chairs. They stumbled, only to laugh along the way. He kicked the last chair out of his and took her to the center of the small woodened floor.

"I don't think i'm a great dancer when I buzzed," She slightly frowned, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You're thinkin' about fast dancing," He explained, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Just slowly sw-swa...just slowly move around."

He brought her closer to him. After all, if you want to master the art of drinking and dancing (or "D&D") then the little the gap the better. Kutner slowly swayed her reflexively, while Thirteen attempted to listen to the rest of the first chorus.

_...It's been a long time since I've had that feeling_

_I could love someone, I could trust someone_

_I said I'd never let nobody near my heart again, darling_

_I said, I'd never...let nobody in...but..._

_If you asked me to_

_I just might change my mind_

_And let you in my life forever_

_If you asked me too_

_I just might give my heart_

_And stay here in your arms forever..._

"Why are we dancing to this?" She grumbled.

"Because," He replied nonchalantly. "I have a bad memory about this song and I want to make it a good memory."

"Oh yeah?" She looked up at him. "Me too."

"What's yours?"

"Well...I was dating this guy in medical school. I really loved him, ya know? I found out that he was cheating on me with my best friend at the time. Typical, yeah? He said he was sorry, but I was too pissed at him to forgive him. Later on, I listened to this song after we broke-up, and I thought 'maybe'."

"Wow...sorry to hear that," He told her symapthetically. "I'd be pissed at my friend too if he did that to me."

"Yeah, you'd have him hanging naked on a goal post," She giggled.

He couldn't help but laugh with her. "Yeah, you're probably right."

_...Can't help feeling darling since I found you_

_That I found my home_

_That i'm finally home..._

"What about you?" Thirteen asked. "Why do you not like this song?"

Kutner paused. "It's...My older sister, Lena loved Celine Dion. Really, she loved everything she sung, but this was her favorite Celine song. I remember her favorite moviewas _License To Kill_ because this song was in the movie. Lena always said that if she could listen to one last thing before she died, it would be this song...when I was about ten years old, she drove me to the ice cream store. And on our way there, this song came on. So, she started singing like a banshee, yelling it at the top of her lungs. At the very end of the song...we crossed the intersection where...a pick-up truck ran a red light and crashed into us...I...I was the only survivor."

The mouth of a very buzzed Thirteen dropped and her eyes widened with fear. Everything was worse when you drank. "Oh my Gd, Kutner. I'm so sorry." She reached out and placed a tender hand on the left side of his cheek.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the rush of heat to his cheek. "It's alrigh'. She's in a better place, right? I don' think she'd want me to remember her favorite song as the song that killed her."

_...If you asked me to_

_I just might give my heart_

_And stay here in your arms forever_

_If you asked me to..._

The widowed brother opened his eyes to find that Thirteen hadn't taken her eyes or her hand off him. He looked deeply into her eyes. Truly, madly, deeply. Not like at lunch when it was a simple study, no, but a real look into her soul. As if to discover who she really was. She was amazing, yes. She seemed selfless, yes. She was graceful, no doubt. She cared, hell yes. And that's what stuck him like glue. The fact that she was no cheerleader, no model, no easy way in or out. She should at least the slightest sign of a balanced perspective on life, and that was what made her beautiful. That's what made her desireable, and loveable. That's what he needed.

_Ask me to and I will give word _

_To you baby, I need you now..._

What took only Kutner seconds to see took Thirteen much longer to see from him. She hadn't noticed, or rather, didn't think it was all to necessary to notice how seemingly pleasent and fun Kutner could be. Sure, he comes off to be the 'class clown' of all sorts. But in the heart of hearts, he's one who would rather die than be ordinary. Thirteen has spent her entire life dating and caring about the same old guy with the same old problem. They were attractive, but not very bright. They we're popular, but had so sense of reality. Kutner was attractive, a doctor, somewhat popular after that fire fiasco, but a good sense of reality. He was far from ordinary, and maybe he was close to what she needed.

_Ask me to and I'll do anything_

_For you baby, for you baby..._

What occured next was more of a blur that still plagues the two 'till this day. Both equally responsible. Thirteen, assuming that she was in control, gently brings Kutner's face towards her. But Kutner, assuming that he was in control, dips his head downward to softly lock his lips with hers. It was tender, it was sweet, but most of all, it was needed. Alright, the drama that might come about afterward isn't necessarily need. But the assurance of knowing that they would stick together for the long haul was more than any could ask for.

_...I'll let you in forever-_

_-All you gotta do is ask me to..._

They pulled away slowly, both fearing that the other one didn't want the kiss. Did he notice? Thirteen asked herself silently. Did she notice? Kutner questioned with an ounce of fear. Each had expected the other to either slap the other, or perhaps just walk out and ignore them from here on out. An inner voice of Kutner's called out to him. It teased him, telling him that this possibility was exactly what he was trying to avoid. Going too fast, ruining something that has potential. Thirteen's inner voice called out to her too. It warned her, it told her to not play her heart for a fool. She knows better than this.

Their eyes met again, neither of them realizing that they had stopped dancing.

_All you gotta do-all you gotta do_

_All you gotta do is ask me to_

_I give you my word, I give you my word..._

"You kissed me," Kutner spoke up surprised, switching the blame onto her.

"_You _kissed_ me," _Thirteen corrected with a small smile.

"I'm not drunk, you know."

"I know. I'm not either."

"I'm just a little buzzed 'is all."

"I know. So am I."

It was almost as if they were staring into the reflection's of each other. They only blinked when the other blinked, or took a deep breath when the other took a deep breath. The tensity between the few inches between their faces was thick, and could be cut with a knife. And from there on, it seemed as though the entire world had melted away, leaving only the two doctors to ponder. There was no bar, no hospital, no House. Only these star-crossed doctors for whom shared more in common than just a job. Perhaps something that, much like House, would appear only when the unexpected was actually unexpected. Indeed, it would make for a very interesting career.

Thirteen looked down for a moment, only to look at Kutner with a grin that instantly warmed his heart. As she looked deeply into his eyes, she couldn't help but reply a phrase that would, shortly after, have them both on the verge of laughter. "Well...this will make for a very interesting second day."

The End...or is it? You tell me. Was writing this one-shot (Or should've-been-three-shot) worth my time as well as yours? I hope so, I just wanted to write something new. So, i'm hoping you wanted to read something new. If you want to read more, and by more, I mean a complete edition to this story, let me know. Or, as Celine Dion put it "If you ask me to...all you got to do is ask me to...I give you my word..." XD


End file.
